Walnuts are a good source of melatonin

Walnuts are a good source of melatonin
There has been much research into the health-promoting properties of Walnut's, but new studies have shown that the nuts also are a source of it antioxi-dante hormone melatonin. The results suggest that Walnut-who can give blood levels of melatonin and antioxidants a push.

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the pineal gland in humans. It is most often associated with sleep regulation, since it is produced in the course of the hour, where it's dark. In the United States, melatonin supplements often use by individuals with an irregular sleep pattern, shift work or jet-lag. The new tests were conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center and published in the september issue of Nutrition.

The researchers wanted to see whether there is melatonin in walnuts, and on intake of walnuts have a impact on the levels of melatonin and antioxidants in the blood.

First turned to melatonin from walnuts and amount of specific substance by a method called liquid chromatography (HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography). It was thus that there were between 2.5 and 4.5 nanograms per gram of melatonin walnut. Then the researchers gave either val-nuts or regular food for rats after having regulated their feed prior to the study. We also measured rotternes blood levels of melatonin and their "total antioxidant strength".

Three walnuts seemed to increase blood concentration of melatonin to the triple with the rats that got the walnuts in the diet, compared with the group that was commonly used as animal feed. Blood anti-oxidant content also increased.

Research Director Russel Reiter says: "Our research shows that walnuts contain melato-nin, that it is absorbed into the body by ingestion, and it improves the ability to withstand oxidation caused by harmful molecules called free radicals".

Although it is not yet clear how many walnuts a human must eat in order to achieve the beneficial effect.

The body's production of melatonin decreases with age. The study raises the question whether there may be a link between declining production of melatonin and the development of diseases related to free radical damage later in life.

Walnuts content of Omega 3 fatty acids have already been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Reiter claims that the synergistic effect of Omega 3, melatonin and other nutrients do walnuts more efficient than the supplements that contains only one of these factors. "I believe that the wlanuts nutritional value lies in their combination of ingredients," he says. He is planning further research activities on the interaction between melatonin and Omega 3.

Reiter's research received financial support from the California Walnut Industry.